Important National Waterways in India

The Government of India is working to develop inland waterways as an alternative mode of transport in the country, which is cleaner and cheaper than both road and rail transport. There are 111 National Waterways in the country today, after 106 waterways were declared as National Waterways, adding to the list of 5 existing NW, in 2016.

Some of the National Waterways in the country are already operational/ navigable and are being used for transportation are given below:

List of Important National Waterways in India

Name of National Waterway

Length (km)

Location (S)

National Waterway-1: Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Haldia – Allahabad)

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is working on developing the new National Waterways and enhancing their navigational potential. The development work is preceded by a feasibility study which inter-alia covers the potential of navigability, cargo availability, and cost of development of the NW concerned.